Wooden Edge wins one for the battlers
Had someone had the audacity to put Wooden Edge through a Karaka thoroughbred auction there would have been plenty of head scratching going on.
But the 4-year-old of unfashionable, almost unknown parentage with a colourful background is proving his worth on the racetrack.
On Saturday at Te Rapa he gave Cambridge trainer Chris Wood and his apprentice jockey Viktoria Gatu a double for the day.
Richly-bred Pacorus, by sire of the moment Tavistock who resides at the world-renowned Cambridge Stud, won earlier in day for the combination.
Wooden Edge has appeared in public four times and is yet to taste defeat.
Wood gave him two trials before his race debut three weeks ago at Te Awamutu and he backed up on Saturday in the hands of Gatu who has guided him to victory each and every time.
Where will it end for the 4-year-old son of the stallion noone has heard of and the unraced dam of one foal, Wooden Edge, before she was dispensed with as a thoroughbred breeding proposition?
His sire Have No Fear by Woodborough, left four foals, two are languishing on a property near Te Kuiti, while the other is unregistered but believed to be in Cambridge.
Have No Fear never raced and stood at stud in a humble surrounds of a paddock behind the Hautapu industrial area near Cambridge for a couple of years before he died.
Wooden Edge was sent to graze at the agistment property of former jockey Gary Edge but payment for the service was not forthcoming.
Edge took a liens over the good looking gelding to recover his losses and convinced Wood to give the ‘‘good paddock galloper’’ a go.
A 12-member syndicate was formed and they can’t believe their luck.
His trainer doesn’t know how far the horse can progress.
‘‘Viktoria told me he had plenty of petrol left on Saturday so there should be a few more wins in store on that performance,’’ he said. ’’He seems to keep improving so his enthusiastic owners could have plenty more fun.’’
Wood was bullish about the chances of both of his runners after producing impressive winning performances at their last runs three weeks ago.
‘‘They have been working well and the connections of both horses were informed so there were some happy people after they both won.’’
Wood will now give both horses a short break and prepare them for races at the Hawke’s Bay spring carnival.
Saturday’s open 1200 winner Southern Icon will return to Te Rapa for his next task.
Matamata trainer Alan Tait has mapped a course to the Group III Foxbridge Plate (1200m) on August 13 for his 4-year-old. He gained plenty of confidence from Saturday’s stunning win as the gelding by Big Brown showed his rivals a clean pair of heels under jockey Mark Hills.
Hills was scoring his sixth win on the horse who has now scored seven times for owners, Mike Collinson and Gaylene Tait, the trainer’s wife.Other impressive winners on the Te Rapa card were Pluck That in the 2-year-old 1100m race and I Paco in a maiden 3-year-old over 1400m.
Pluck That from the powerful Baker and Forsman stable is a likely contender for the Listed Ryder Stakes later in the month.
Trainer Margaret Carter didn’t give the son of Paco Boy a trial or jumpout before his fresh-up win but wasn’t surprised with the talented youngster’s winning performance.